Sundaes courtesy of Sol

Stewart's installing solar panels to power Greenfield Center site

Tim , Times Union

By Tim O'Brien

Published 6:54 pm, Monday, July 22, 2013

Gary Dake, at podium, president of Stewart's Shops, addresses those gathered for an event at the Stewart's distribution center on Monday, July 22, 2013, in Greenfield Center, N.Y. The event was held to mark the start of the installation of a solar panel power system on the distribution center rooftop. The chain of convenience stores is paying $1.4 million up front for the 600-kilowatt photovoltaic system but will get much of that money back. It will get a 30 percent federal tax credit and an unspecified amount of aid reimbursed from the New York State Energy Research Development Authority. (Paul Buckowski / Times Union)

Gary Dake, at podium, president of Stewart's Shops, addresses those...

People gather for an event at the Stewart's distribution center on Monday, July 22, 2013, in Greenfield Center, N.Y. The event was held to mark the start of the installation of a solar panel power system on the distribution center rooftop. The chain of convenience stores is paying $1.4 million up front for the 600-kilowatt photovoltaic system but will get much of that money back. It will get a 30 percent federal tax credit and an unspecified amount of aid reimbursed from the New York State Energy Research Development Authority. (Paul Buckowski / Times Union)

People gather for an event at the Stewart's distribution center on...

Workers begin moving supplies up to the roof of the Stewart's distribution center to install a solar panel power system Monday morning, July 22, 2013, in Greenfield Center, N.Y. The chain of convenience stores is paying $1.4 million up front for the 600-kilowatt photovoltaic system but will get much of that money back. It will get a 30 percent federal tax credit and an unspecified amount of aid reimbursed from the New York State Energy Research Development Authority. (Paul Buckowski / Times Union)

Workers begin moving supplies up to the roof of the Stewart's...

Workers begin moving supplies up to the roof of the Stewart's distribution center to install a solar panel power system on Monday, July 22, 2013, in Greenfield Center, NY. The chain of convenience stores is paying $1.4 million up front for the 600-kilowatt photovoltaic system but will get much of that money back. It will get a 30 percent federal tax credit and an unspecified amount of aid reimbursed from the New York State Energy Research Development Authority. (Paul Buckowski / Times Union)

Stewart's will soon power its manufacturing and distribution center here using solar panels that generate enough electricity to keep 77 homes energized for a year.

The chain of convenience stores is paying $1.4 million upfront for the 600-kilowatt photovoltaic system but will get much of that money back. It will get a 30 percent federal tax credit and an unspecified amount of aid reimbursed from the New York State Energy Research Development Authority. The installation is under way and should be completed by September.

"We're going to be using the power of the sun to make the ice cream cold," said Gary Dake, president of the chain. "It's usually the other way around."

The center is 300,000 square feet. It will take 2,405 solar panels to cover it, each 5 feet by 3 feet in diameter, said Nancy Trimbur, senior vice president of Stewart's.

"We can reduce our carbon footprint and reinvest that savings in the company and the community," she said.

The chain is expected to save $40,000 a year in electricity costs, which will enable it to repay its own final investment within five and a half years.

Dake said the chain had looked at the idea of installing solar panels before and was not able "to make the math work."

But with the federal tax credit and NYSERDA support, the project became viable, he said.

Francis Murray, president and CEO of NYSERDA, said the amount NYSERDA aid is confidential to protect the winning firm from revealing information to its competitors. Stewart's was one of 76 businesses in New York to receive assistance under the state's NY Sun Competitive PV program, which distributed $46 million for large-scale solar projects. Each project is capped at $3 million and all require the private businesses to invest some of their own money.

By using solar energy, the firm cuts down on stress on the energy grid, decreases dependence on fossil fuel and reduces its carbon footprint, Murray said.

He recalled 20 years ago, when he was state energy commissioner, participating in honoring Stewart's for energy efficiency. "Sustainability is essential to the success of the company," he said.

"This will be a sterling example of how to move forward," he said. "We need to have sound stewardship of the environment. What we're applauding today is sound Stewart's-ship."

EnterSolar, a New York City-based firm, is installing the solar system.

"It's not only a good decision for the environment but for the business," said Peyton Boswell, the firm's managing director. "For solar to work viably at this point, we still rely on state incentives."

Once in place, he said, the system will provide power for the next 30 years. The system will generate 630,000 kilowatt hours, enough to power 77 homes, he said.

National Grid's regional director, William Flaherty, said the project can help reduce stress on the electric system, which was especially felt during last week's heat wave.

"Last Wednesday, we hit an all-time high with 6,911 megawatts used on that day," Flaherty said. "This kind of installation keeps the demand down on the grid."